Philippe Legrain is a critically acclaimed Economist with senior policy experience and a track record of political and economic insight. He specialises in global and European political economy issues, including macro, geopolitics, trade and immigration.

He warned that Brexit was likely long before the referendum and that markets were under pricing Italian political risk ahead of the elections in March. His most recent prediction is that China is likely to come out on top in a trade war with Donald Trump.

Philippe was among the first to diagnose the financial panic that almost destroyed the euro, which led to his engagement as European Commission President José Manuel Barroso’s independent economic adviser. Previously, his insight into the anti-globalisation movement led to his appointment as special adviser to World Trade Organisation Director-General Mike Moore.

A senior visiting fellow at the London School of Economics’ European Institute, he is the founder of Open Political Economy Network (OPEN), an international think-tank on openness issues, and a columnist for Foreign Policy and Project Syndicate.

His four books include Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them, shortlisted for the 2007 Financial Times Business Book of the Year, and European Spring: Why Our Economies and Politics are in a Mess – and How to Put Them Right, among the FT’s Best Books of 2014.

He reports for OPEN and the Tent Foundation include Refugees Work: A humanitarian investment that yields economic dividends and Step Up: How to get refugees into work quickly.

A brilliant and succinct speaker, his content is always up to date to the very the day of the conference. His delivery through examples and stories making complex insights easy to assimilate.

Philippe’s opening keynote for the Spinoza Foundation was described as a ‘magnificent tour de force’by Martin Wolf.

European Spring: Why Our Economies and Politics are in a Mess
and How to Put Them Right (2014), was described as
“essential reading” by the Financial Times and was among its Best Books of 2014.

Aftershock: Reshaping the World Economy After the Crisis (2010)
attracted the attention of President Barroso and persuaded him to hire Philippe

Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them (2007)
was shortlisted for the FT Business Book of the Year award

Open World: The Truth about Globalisation (2002),
which defended free trade but warned of the dangers of
unfettered finance, was described as “wonderfully lucid and intelligent”
by Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator of the Financial Times

Presentation Themes Include:

A Global Macroeconomic Overview – The Risks – What should Asset Managers be aware of ?